Korean Skeleton’s ‘Spider-Man’ Jeong Seung-gi (24, Gangwon-do Office, photo) will challenge his first World Cup victory at the final 8th competition of the 2022-2023 International Bobsled Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup held in Sigulda, Latvia on the 17th.
The reason Jeong Seung-gi nicknamed himself ‘Spider-Man’ is because Yun Seong-bin (29), who won the men’s skeleton gold medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, is known as ‘Iron Man’. Just as Spider-Man made Iron Man his idol in the movie ‘Marvel Avengers series’ and eventually became the main character, it means that he will become the main character of the Korean skeleton. This goal is getting closer and closer to reality. Jeong Seung-gi recorded a record (1:46:18) faster than Yoon Seong-bin (1:46:70) in the second competition last season for the first time, and eventually finished the season in 9th place in the overall rankings, finishing two steps higher than Yoon Seong-bin (11th). I put my name on it.
In this season without Yun Seong-bin, Jeong Seung-gi won the silver medal in the first and second competitions and the bronze medal in the third competition, rising to the top of the IBSF rankings. However, he failed to add medals consecutively in the 4th to 6th competitions and fell from the top of the rankings, and the result of the 7th competition was also a silver medal.
Jo In-ho, head coach of the national bobsleigh and skeleton team, said, “Jeong Seung-gi has been ranked first, but he is still hungry that he has not yet been able to rank first in the World Cup.” The Sigulda Track, the venue for the last World Cup this season, is a place where Jeong Seung-gi has pleasant memories. Jeong Seung-gi won his first World Cup medal and the first Korean player since Yoon Seong-bin to win a bronze medal at his sixth event last season held here.
In the North American Cup, which is rated one step lower than the World Cup, Jung Seung-gi competed with adult players and harvested two gold medals in the 2017-2018 season. Jeong Seung-gi, who was attending Sangji Gwanryeong High School in Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do at the time, was recognized for this achievement and was selected as one of the four promising players representing the ‘future of Korean winter sports’ and entered with the Olympic rings at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. 온라인바카라
Jeong Seung-gi lived in Paju, Gyeonggi Province until his third year of middle school, but fell in love with Yoon Seong-bin during the 2014 Sochi Olympics and transferred to Daegwanryeong Middle School in Pyeongchang. In other words, he started earlier than Yoon Seong-bin, who first started skeleton skating in his third year at Sillim High School in Seoul. General manager Cho explained, “If Yoon Seong-bin was a genius, Jeong Seung-gi was a player who stepped on a well-equipped system and achieved results.”
Although there is no World Cup gold medal yet, in terms of the results of his first appearance at the Olympics, Jeong Seung-gi ranked 10th at the Beijing Games last year, better than Yoon Seong-bin (16th place) at the 2014 Sochi Games. After winning the silver medal at the 7th World Cup this season, Jeong Seung-gi said, “I am happy to be able to stand on the podium in second place. She will perform well even in the 8th competition,” she said. If Jeong Seung-gi wins the 8th competition, there is a chance she will finish the season at No. 3 in the rankings, her personal best.